With fans back in the stands this season, there was no doubt Dodgers fans were going to get their licks in on Astros players. However, will Dodgers fans carry that same hatred for these players once they aren’t with the team?
The answer should be yes.
The Dodgers are in the closing out a two-game set against the Astros in Houston and a handful of Dodgers fans came out to not only support their team but to express their anger about 2017. Astros manager Dusty Baker has made it clear that he wants the fans and teams to move past it by stating earlier in the season, “How many in the stands have never done anything wrong in their life? We paid the price for it. People make mistakes. We paid ours, and I wish they’d leave it alone.”
A Dodgers fans section in Houston started chanting "cheaters" as the Astros took the field vs LA tonight. pic.twitter.com/y3kgfKW9WH
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 26, 2021
However, the scrutiny of these players will carry on throughout their career and the rest of their lives, no matter what other people think and how much they try to avoid it. We’ve already seen players from the 2017 team move on to different teams. Guys like Dallas Keuchel, Joe Musgrove and George Springer have moved on. Then there’s Josh Reddick, who was greeted by Dodgers fans when he signed with the Diamondbacks with a loud welcome of boos and a song from the organist.
The organ player at Dodger stadium played "I saw the sign" while Josh Reddick was up to bat 😅
(via @BlakeHarrisTBLA)pic.twitter.com/aPR0Vombke
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 21, 2021
It’s About The Players, Not the Team
Yes, the Astros will get their fair share of boos as their season rolls on, but Dodger fans have a good memory, and they know that it’s not about the team itself, but rather the players from the past.
Carlos Correa is probably going to go down as one of the most hated players amongst that 2017 team, however, he’s set to become a free agent after this season and wherever he goes, the asterisk will follow, and so will the reminder that Dodger fans will never forget it.
This goes for other players that will seek to cash in once they hit free agency; players like Alex Bregman who recently signed an extension to buy out arbitration. However, if the Astros don’t work something out after that, he’ll look to go somewhere else.
But what happened with Reddick is a prime example as to why these players will never hear the end of it.
There is a saying that reads “every villain is the hero to their own story,” and that could relate to the Dodgers as well.
While Dodgers fans will express their hatred toward certain Astros players, whether current or former, there are Dodgers that will forever be seen as villains in their own regards.
Last Friday, Trevor Bauer took the mound against the Giants and exited to boos from Giants fans all across Oracle Park, similar to what Reddick had experienced at Dodger Stadium from Dodger fans. Bauer took exception to it, though, and he lived up to the occasion as he put his hands to his ears and wanted more. The gesture drew comparisons to when Dodgers great Tommy Lasorda left his final game at Candlestick Park.
The moment Trevor Bauer won my heart. pic.twitter.com/Lcmy5OQ4Cv
— Dodgers Tailgate (@DodgersTailgate) May 22, 2021
Rivalry Is What Makes the Game Great
At the heart of all this booing and whether or not players or one case, managers, embrace the role of being a villain, it all comes down to rivalry and the spirit of wanting to beat your opponent. Rivalry can pump up the crowd and give them something worth watching, which can sometimes get teams the motivation needed to win. From the Padres, Giants and now Astros, these kinds of games and players can fuel a team and boost their confidence as fans will have their team’s back as the Dodgers will look to keep on rolling. Trevor Bauer will get the start on Wednesday as he’s already made his stance on the whole Astros cheating, and we’ll have to wait and see for what he has in store for the fans and Astros players as the rivalry will forever carry on into history.
Jacob Cisneros is a writer for Dodgers Tailgate. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @_JacobCisneros.Â
Photo Credit: ESPN
